Post-Game Talk: Game 56: New York Rangers @ Buffalo Sabres , 5:30 ET, MSG

[SnowblindNYR]

they’re not the most talented team in the league but they arent bad enough to consistently turn in games with this level or suckage, and its been a regular thing this year

believe me i generally don’t believe in the effort narrative. but this team is clearly not putting their all into it.

Best post I've seen in a long time. If we lost 8-2 to the Caps because we were just worse that's one thing. Remember that game early in the season when we lost like 5-3 to the Caps with an empty netter but allowed something like 9 expected goals against? We thought at the time it was bad effort. With hindsight that was a superior team pantsing a worse team. This was utter garbage. Also remember how good Igor was in that game? How do you go from 4 goals on 9 expected against to 5 on less than 1 expected against? How do you go from earlier in the season when the team gave up 40+ shots every game and him winning 2-1 to these last 6 games? He's mentally unstable person that has no business making the largest contract in league history at his position. Sorry, this wasn't meant as an Igor rant but everywhere the stench of his play is present.

 

[eco's bones]

I think we may end up with at least a first this year and next year. If we don't make the playoffs we keep ours (2025) and probably trade for another in 2026.

My guess is the team will rebound some next year. It's like a lot of guys had their best or near best years last year and this year they're having their worst years. For older guys it may be decline but there's not that many and we have guys who are near ready in Othmann, Berard and Garand anyway. We also should have cap space and should go after a D or two in free agency.

Also a new coach will probably get more out of the team that shows up for training camp and I'm thinking Laviolette is going to be gone and perhaps even Drury.

It's always easy to land on one or two people as scapegoats. I think many of our players + the coaches and GM have underwhelmed. Some maybe worse than others but still a group effort or lack thereof. A lack of leadership too when you think how rudderless this team has been. Panarin, Fox, Kreider, Zibanejad are not take charge types. It's been a mentally soft and too fragile team this year. Maybe JT but the Rangers I think need an Alpha personality (or two) that can instill some accountability back into the team.

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

I remember those stretch of games last year with Jones in the lineup and being able to actually move the puck up the ice. I just gave up. He is never gonna be given a chance here. It’s a joke.

there’s people I respect on here who still are just like “well jones never played so he must be bad”. Then throw some lame stat card from one of his yearly 10 game stints

 

[mike14]

how did laf look tonight

Absolutely insipid.
I think he made one semi-useful pass all game, and I'm pretty sure he didn't register a single shot.
15-ish minutes of just being there

 

[NickyFotiu]

My guess is the team will rebound some next year. It's like a lot of guys had their best or near best years last year and this year they're having their worst years. For older guys it may be decline but there's not that many and we have guys who are near ready in Othmann, Berard and Garand anyway. We also should have cap space and should go after a D or two in free agency.

Also a new coach will probably get more out of the team that shows up for training camp and I'm thinking Laviolette is going to be gone and perhaps even Drury.

It's always easy to land on one or two people as scapegoats. I think many of our players + the coaches and GM have underwhelmed. Some maybe worse than others but still a group effort or lack thereof. A lack of leadership too when you think how rudderless this team has been. Panarin, Fox, Kreider, Zibanejad are not take charge types. It's been a mentally soft and too fragile team this year. Maybe JT but the Rangers I think need an Alpha personality (or two) that can instill some accountability back into the team.

I think you are right like CBJ is having a better season but this groups window has closed. It will likely be with younger hungrier guys and a different group of coaches. Not a first place team but hopefully a more consistent effort team.

 

[pld459666]

Wow.

 

[markymarc1215]

I'm looking forward to all the late round picks in return.

Addition by subtraction.

 

[RangerLifer]

View attachment 981258


Didn’t realize how bunched up spots like 5-13 are, keep losing, and get the highest lottery chance you can get.

What's the reason for that? We'd just pick a guy we will ruin or not develop properly.

 

[NYR94]

https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/s/3RRhM2keGu

 

[mrhockey193195]

Words don't describe how awful Trocheck has been this season. I don’t think I’ve even seen a player go so quickly from “heart and soul” to “completely useless at best, actively playing for the other team at worst” as him. I'd be thrilled if he never played another game as a Ranger.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

I get why people bring up the effort thing but also, you kind of have to acknowledge that this team is just really bad.

That notion kind of got shooed away because they had good runs, but those teams were always fragile. Not mentally or physically. You could make that argument but it's not the one I'm making here.

They were fragile in the sense that a ton went right and they couldn't handle too many guys not playing their best. This year, the shit hit the fan on pretty much everyone from Kreider, to Zibanejad, to Fox, to Lafreniere regressing back to what he was.

And as I mentioned earlier, maybe this is the worst version of it and they're not this bad but we have to acknowledge when a team was never that great and needed too many things to go right. They need to make very significant changes.

There's a lot of systems related issues going on out there and the corrections just haven't been made. A lot more of this is on the coaching staff than what people want to believe.

The only reason this coaching staff still has a job is because this sack of shit core has already gotten a coach fired. I would not be surprised if the coaching situation is Dolan saying I'm not paying another one.

Words don't describe how awful Trocheck has been this season. I don’t think I’ve even seen a player go so quickly from “heart and soul” to “completely useless at best, actively playing for the other team at worst” as him. I'd be thrilled if he never played another game as a Ranger.

He's been abysmal.

He's just another guy over 30 that can't skate. This team is going to be bad for a really, really long time.

 

[Tob]

@Tob your account got hacked by somebody posting actual takes.

I am a changed man.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

The issue with Trocheck seems obvious to me. Playing with Panarin elevated him and he overachieved. The team thought they could turn him into a 1C based on last season.

But he’s not that guy and never will be. On a contending team he’s a second liner center that may play on the third line depending on the day

The fact that he’s going to be playing with a busted finger the rest of the way won’t make it any better.

 

[Hire Sather]

Not sure which contract will be worse.. Igor or Fox

 

[RangersFan1994]

y'all the trick is to enjoy the rangers losing. the worse we look, the more you enjoy it.

The worse the Rangers are, they keep that 1st round pick. So their is a silver lining of selecting another bust or undeveloped player

 

[noncents]

The worse the Rangers are, they keep that 1st round pick. So their is a silver lining of selecting another bust or undeveloped player

but they lose next years...

 

[Draft Guru]

Words don't describe how awful Trocheck has been this season. I don’t think I’ve even seen a player go so quickly from “heart and soul” to “completely useless at best, actively playing for the other team at worst” as him. I'd be thrilled if he never played another game as a Ranger.

now this is an all time HF Boards take

 

[RangersFan1994]

but they lose next years...

So, they'll hopefully have a new coaching staff and management by then

 

[Harbour Dog]

I truly think that this was the most important game of the season, and the best outcome for that game.

There is no world where we should have been anything but sellers at the deadline, and we needed to stop any thoughts of making a playoff push in their tracks.

Mission accomplished.

 

[wolfgaze]

 

[94leetch]

It’s clear as day the coaching staff and the players are in different worlds right now. It’s up to Pizza Boss, of course, which side he’s going to support. My guess is he won’t fire Lavi until May. (unless these chodes lose 8-2 in the next three.)

Which only heightens the pressure on Drury to make smart player moves. I just don’t see anything that says “add” versus “subtract.” He’s been an “add” guy the whole way through - I.e., we’re f**ked.

Ah bullshit.
The coach is trying to coach a team of professionals and they aren't that.
8 goals against?
I've seen enough to make a conclusion about these guys.
They aren't worth watching.

 

[Siddi]

now this is an all time HF Boards take

He is not wrong. Trocheck is awful out there. Lazy backchecks and missing coverage everytime he is on the ice.